Featured Events
Training programme on International Trading System
SAWTEE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), Government of Nepal, and USAID/NEAT Activity, organized a three-day training programme on “International Trading System” on 7-9 February 2012 in Godavari, Lalitpur. The major objectives of the training were to enhance understanding of the trainees on various issues of international trade, to enhance their capacity to effectively implement trade agreements and to equip them with knowledge and skills for trade negotiation. Twenty-nine participants representing MoCS, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry, Department of Commerce, Trade and Export Promotion Centre, Nepal Rastra Bank, Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and District Chambers participated in the training. The training was based on the training manual prepared by SAWTEE.
Cost of Economic Non-Cooperation to Consumer in South Asia
South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), CUTS International, The Asia Foundation, and Commonwealth Secretariat jointly organized a two-day dissemination meeting on ‘Cost of Economic Non-Cooperation to Consumer in South Asia’ on February 3-4 in Kathmandu. The report is based on a recent study by CUTS International, SAWTEE and other research organizations in the region. It finds that increasing trade in South Asia at preferential rates on a range of products that have both high intra-regional trade potential and high prospects for improving consumer welfare could save at least US$2 billion per year.
Nepal’s WTO accession experience shared with Afghanistan
South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) organized a half-day interaction programme for the Delegation of Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to share Nepal’s experiences on accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), on 8 January 2012. A 20-member delegation led by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Afghanistan and having representation from nine ministries of Afghanistan and the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)—the apex chamber of commerce—and a development partner participated in the meeting. The objective of the meeting for the foreign delegation was to learn from Nepal’s WTO accession experience and utilize the knowledge during Afghanistan’s ongoing accession negotiations at the WTO. The delegation, led by Deputy Minister Mr. Mozammil Shinwari, Director General of International Trade Directorate of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is currently in Nepal for a week-long WTO study tour.
World Competition Day
SAWTEE in association with Lawyers' Academy Committee, Nepal Bar Association (NBA) and Society of Economic Journalists of Nepal (SEJON) organized a discussion forum on “Status of Competition in Nepal” on 5 December 2011 to mark the World Competition Day. The World Competition Day is celebrated on 5 December every year to mark the adoption by the United Nations of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices. This year the World Competition Day was marked with the theme 'Cartels and their harmful effects'.
Public-Private Dialogue on Nepal’s WTO commitments and roles of stakeholders
SAWTEE, in cooperation with the German International Cooperation (GIZ), Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), Government of Nepal and Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), organized a “Public-Private Dialogue on Nepal’s WTO commitments and roles of stakeholders” in Pokhara on 2-3 December 2011. The major objective of the programme was to interact with local-level stakeholders on trade issues in general, and on Nepal’s commitments at the WTO and the status of their compliance, in particular.
4th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES)
The 4th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) was organized by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Dhaka on 22-23 October 2011. SAWTEE was one of the co-organizers of the Summit. The theme of the 4th SAES was Global Recovery, New Risks and Sustainable Growth: Repositioning South Asia.
South Asian Consultation on “Food Justice in a Resource Constrained South Asia”
SAWTEE and Oxfam organized a two-day South Asian Consultation on “Food Justice in a Resource Constrained South Asia” on 26-27 September 2011 in Lalitpur, Nepal.
Fourth CGE Modelling Training
Effective trade, climate and development policy making and implementation depend significantly on a priori assessments of the implications that could arise from different policy options. It is thus important for researchers and policy makers to conduct ex ante analyses of alternative policy scenarios, for example, the potential implications of a particular policy measure such as tariff reduction for the macroeconomic environment, exports, imports, employment, poverty, food security, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental sustainability.
Expert Committee Meeting to revise Nepal's Agricultural Biodiversity Policy
SAWTEE, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives/Government of Nepal, USC Canada Asia and Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development, organized a meeting of the Expert Committee formed by the Ministry to revise Nepal's Agricultural Biodiversity Policy 2007 on 6-7 June 2011 in Dhulikhel, Nepal.
Dissemination Meeting of Aid for Trade Research
The preliminary findings of the Research on Evaluating Development Effectiveness of Aid for Trade (AFT) were disseminated among stakeholders in Kathmandu on 2 May 2011. The event was jointly organized by SAWTEE and the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva.
Strengthening Institutional Capacity on Sustainability Criteria for Bioenergy
SAWTEE, in collaboration with the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) and with the support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), organized a three day standardization workshop to strengthen the institutional capacity of standard organizations, private sector and other relevant stakeholders from the South and Southeast Asia regions on sustainable criteria for bio-energy. Fifty-two participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam participated in the workshop.
Enhancing Capacity of WTO Focal Points on Compliance issues-I
Nepal has made a number of commitments during its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Nepal has complied with many of the commitments it has made, but is yet to comply with a number of others. In this context, the role of WTO focal points is extremely important in understanding these various commitments and in complying with them. They should be taking the lead in complying with the WTO commitments that fall under their jurisdiction. More importantly, they should ensure that complying with the commitments will balance the country’s international obligations with the rights and welfare of its citizens.
An Interaction Programme on UNLDC IV.
The Fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (UNLDC IV) is scheduled for 9-13 May in Istanbul, Turkey. Nepal, being the Chair of the LDC group, is coordinating the preparatory processes in the run up to UNLDC IV.
Second Civil Society Forum on Responding to Food Insecurity in South Asia
SAWTEE and Oxfam organized the Second Civil Society Forum on Responding to Food Insecurity in South Asia from 24-25 February 2011 in Kathmandu.
A cross-section of over 50 stakeholders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participated in the Forum and adopted the Civil Society Statement on Food Security II, which contains a set of recommendations for the SAARC Agricultural Ministers, who were scheduled to meet in Dhaka on 3 March.
Emerging Potentials of International Trade for South Asian LDCs
At a talk programme on Emerging Potentials of International Trade for South Asian LDCs organized by SAWTEE on 14 February 2011 in Kathmandu, experts highlighted issues pertinent to emerging potentials of international trade for South Asian least-developed countries (LDCs) and the supply-side constraints faced by them in boosting their export capacity and exports. They argued that the international community should not only provide market access, but also help LDCs in enhancing their trade capacity. Aid for Trade (AFT) could play an important role on this regard.
Launch Meeting of the programme on Aid for Trade
The launch meeting of a research project on "Evaluating Effectiveness of Aid for Trade in Nepal" was held in Kathmandu on 18 January 2011. About 50 stakeholders, including policy makers, academics, economists, private sector representatives, donor community and media persons, participated in the meeting.
3rd South Asia Economic Summit
CGE Modelling Training
Inview of the growing use and potential of computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling in trade and development policy research, SAWTEE and South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM) organized the Third South Asian Training Programme on CGE Modelling from 2–6 August 2010 in Kathmandu. A total of 29 researchers, academics and policy makers participated in the training.
Dialogue on Trade, Climate Change and Food Security
SAWTEE, together with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva and the Centre for WTO Studies (CWS), New Delhi, organized a “Dialogue on Trade, Poverty and Climate Change” on 20–21 May in Kathmandu.